If you’re a digital nomad or planning on being one soon, it’s easy to feel homesick when you’re on the road. You miss your food, family, pets, and friends, all of which are familiar elements that have been around for years.
However, there’s a surprising number of things that you can start doing right this moment to help you feel at home while traveling.
Here are seven simple steps you can take to do just that:
Make a Home-like Environment
One of the essential parts of a home is the environment. Wherever you go, make sure you have a comfortable, relaxing place to sleep and a comfy chair for reading or watching TV. It will help create an environment where you feel at home and lessens your urge to run off when the hostel does not have Wi-Fi.
Try New Habits
Many travelers find that they start missing their habits when they’re traveling long term. Try to make some new ones, or at least maintain some old ones. One example is trying to make it a habit to use the same toothpaste and deodorant in each place you visit.
Make a Habit of Buying Local
A lot of travelers find that they become homesick when they stop buying their favorite products from home. For example, if you’re a wine drinker, try drinking local wine while traveling. Or try cooking your favorite meal a few times a week while you’re away.
Create a Backup Plan
It would help if you had a backup plan for your trip. Make sure you have a couple of different options if things start to get difficult somewhere along the line. If you’re going on a long journey, you will undoubtedly experience some homesickness at some point. Having a backup plan will help your mental well-being and help you continue with your adventure.
Keep in Touch with Loved Ones
A big part of feeling homesick is simply missing friends and family. Try to keep in touch with them as much as possible, either through phone calls, email, blog posts, or whatever else you can think of. It will help tremendously to talk to loved ones who understand where you are and what you’re going through.
Do Something for Someone Else
Mentally, it’s essential to help someone else when you’re feeling homesick. It will make you feel fulfilled and help out a local person while boosting your mood. If you can’t do anything charitable, try going out to dinner with a friend or taking a day trip somewhere fun.
Bring with you Pictures of your Family
Bring pictures of your family or friends with you on your travels. Keep them in your wallet, your passport, and elsewhere so you can look at them when you’re homesick. This is a great way to help fight homesickness.
Summing Up
Traveling is one of the most rewarding parts of life. If you’re struggling with homesickness, it will help immensely to do one of these simple things. They won’t take up much time, but they can make your time more fulfilling.
Jessica Lippe 